Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 13, 1944)

Se —_ Page 4 OF OANADA LTD. 277 Victoria Street, Toronto. Dear Mr. Exhibitor: Do nothin' till you hear from Monogram! Our 1944-45 schedule is a knockout--it will include 10 SPECIALS 24 PROGRAM PICTURES 12 WESTERNS And ali built for entertainment and box-office, It's acknowledged in the trade and we don't mind repeating that Monogram is the fastest-growing company in the industry Be sure to reserve room for Monogram pictures in your Line-up for the coming year. Cordially yours, MONOGRAM PICTURES Toronto, Montreal, St. John, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver. Canadian FILM WEEKLY The Mask of ce = Dimitrios with Sydney Greenstreet, Zachary Scott, Peter Lorre Warner 95 Mins. CONFUSED AND COMPLICATED MELODRAMA HAS FORCE AND VIVIDNESS, PLUS PLENTY OF FINE ACTING. How the public will accept “The Mask of Dimitrios” is open to speculation. The film has much of the good and the bad about it. Unfortunately, however, it hasn’t the services of an important name cast to lull one into forgetting the production’s faults, The film possesses color, vividness and a sense of mystery. It has been given a first-rate production by Producer Henry Blanke and enjoys the services of a fine cast. The physical aspects are gefinitely worthy of note. The picture makes quite a to-do over the odious career of its central character, a man who has been murderer, robber, smuggler and spy. The film jumps hither and yon in following the operations of Dimitrios. The scenes of the action are Istanbul, Athens, Sofia, Geneva and Paris. The journey into Dimitrios? past results from the determination of a Dutch mystery writer to learn all he can about the villain, whose fantastic criminal career intrigues him, The writer follows every clue, his quest taking him to the strangest places and subjecting him to many surprising experiences, some of them fraught with danger. Much of the plot revolves about the question of whether Dimitrios is alive or dead. The answer comes when the villain shows up very much alive. At the finale he is dead for sure, shot by an enemy of his. Zachary Scott plays Dimitrios; Sydney Greenstreet, the one who kills him; Peter Lorre, the writer. All are capital. Fine performances are forthcoming also from Victor Francen, Faye Emerson, Steven Geray, Edward Clannelli and a number of others. The screenplay of Frank Gruber, derived from a novel of Eric Ambler, has been directed forcefully by Jean Negulesco. CAST: Sydney Greenstreet, Zachary Scott, Faye Emerson, Peter Lorre, Victor Francen, Steven Geray, Florence Bates, Edward Ciannelli, Kurt Katch, Marjorie Hoshelle, Georges Metaxa, John Abbott, Monte Blue, David Hoffman. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good, x BPeviews «x From Film Daily, New York Home in Indiana with Walter Brennan, Lon McCallister 20th-Fox 103 Mins. REFRESHING TECHNICOLOR FILM RATED AS PERFECT FAMILY PICTURE; HEAVY TAKES INDICATED. Exerting very much the same appeal that that other 20th-Fox film, “My Friend, Flicka,” did, “Home in Indiana” represents a refreshing change from the everyday that ought to win an enthusiastic reception from grateful audiences everywhere. Patrons will find it difficult to remain unresponsive to the unaffected charm and utter simplicity with which this tale of trotting and trotting horses has been told. Lovers of horse flesh and harness iacing will be ecstatic. Skillfully the film weaves the story of a youth with*a passionate love of horses who helps to rehabilitate his uncle as a trainer of trotters. The lad makes this possible by secretly mating a blind mare, the sole animal remaining to his uncle, and a champion stallion from the Stables of the old man’s mortal enemy. The film traces the development of the filly resulting from the mating into a champion trotter. A sad note is struck when the beloved animal, whose eyesight has been gradually failing, goes stone blind after winning the big race. The story brings two girls into the lad’s life, the daughter of his uncle’s enemy, and the daughter of the latter’s trainer, with the second girl coming out the winner. Lon McCallister, remembered as the shy, boyish soldier in “Stage Door Canteen,” performs beautifully as the young hero of the film. Walter Brennan is fine as the uncle, while Jeanne Crain and June Haver are attractive and promising as the two girls in McCallister’s life. Charlotte Greenwood, getting away from comedy for the nonce, is excellent as »rennan’s wife. Mention also must be made of Charles Dingle as Brennan’s enemy and Ward Bond as Dingle’s trainer. Most of the lighter moments are provided by Willie Best. CAST: Walter Brennan, Lon McCallister, Jeanne Crain, June Haver, Charlotte Greenwood, Ward Bond, Charles Dingle, Robert Condon, Charles Saggau, Willie Best, George Reed, Noble “Kid” Chissell, Walter Baldwin, George CleveJand, Arthur Aylesworth, Libby Taylor, Roger Imhof, Matt McHugh, Eddy Waller, Billy Mitchell, Tom Dugan, Sam McDanlel, Emmett Smith. DIRECTION, Excellent. PHY, Excellent. PHOTOGRA September 13, 1944 Delinquent Daughters with June Carlson, Fifi D’Orsay, Teala Loring PRC 72 Mins. GOOD EXPLOITATION OFFERING HIGHLIGHTED BY WORK OF A NEWCOMER. This is a good exploitation offering, highlighted by the work of screen newcomer Teala Loring and Jon Dawson, who are standouts in an excellent cast. Donald C. McKean and Albert Herman functioned as producers, with Herman directing. | Ombittered because her parents have refused to let her marry her sweetheart, Teala Loring begins a line of crime. She becomes infatuated with Jon Dawson, a roadhouse operator, who heads a gang of high school students who pull off gas station robberies and holdups. Teala holds up an autoist and then joins Dawson, who has led a payroll robbery. Arthur St. Claire wrote the original story and screenplay. CAST: June Carlson, Fifi D’Orsay, Tesla Loring, Mary Bovard, Marga Dean, Johnny Duncan, Joe Devlin, Jimmy Zaner, Don Dawsen, Frank McGlynn, Parker Gee, Warren Mills, John Christian, Frank Stephens, Floyd Criswell, John Valentine, Belle Thomas, Sheila Roberts, Norval Mitchell, Juan De La Cruz, Sheilah Roddick. DIRECTION, Splendid. PHY, Good, PHOTOGRA